Hey guys! I was astonished by the amount of story alerts/favourites I got yesterday and I just wanted to say thank you, you have no idea how happy it made me. A special thank you to all of the wonderful people who reviewed. This chapter is a bit of a filler as the next one gets to the crux of why I wanted to write this fanfiction. I've got the majority of it done, I'm just toying with how much to add in and how many chapters I want this story to have.
A massive thank you to my beta, Jana. Without her, this wouldn't have come to all of you so quickly, there's only so many threatening emails and texts I can take! Also, her beta commentary as she goes through makes my day.
I do not own any of the characters.
In Marlowe we trust.
Even now, her heart was still hammering. She hadn't braved Rick's room since her escape, hiding downstairs and watching crappy TV instead - trying to convince herself that she was giving him time to sleep. She flicked nervously through the channels, not taking anything in. She was just trying, unsuccessfully, to get Castle's eyes out of her mind. They'd darkened at her touch, so adult, so dangerous, so not what she wanted to get into right now. The wall stopped her, a physical barrier to stop them from being together, stopped him from being affected by her damaged goods. She picked at the skin around her fingernails, anxiety taking over. She finally reached a movie, 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'. She'd never read the books, or watched the films so she'd been apart from the hype that'd surrounded them. She consciously tried to push her shoulders down, relax them and watch the movie.
"KAAAAATE?" her shoulders shot up to their previous position again. She closed her eyes for a second, trying to shut him out. "BECKETT?", and then silence. As she didn't hear his voice again she re-opened her eyes, focusing on the screen. "KAAAAAAAATE!" she suppressed a growl of frustration. Pressing pause she got to her feet, her fists clenched at her sides.
"What, Castle?" she didn't want to go back into his room, she really didn't, she was much safer downstairs - less irritated too.
"I can't sleep," she rolled her eyes, "and I'm bored." She tensed, knowing what was coming. "Come and keep me company?"
"I'm watching a movie." There was silence and, for a moment, she thought she'd been let off of the hook. Then the door to his room creaked open and he appeared, pale and looking unsteady on his feet.
"What movie? Can I come and watch it with you?"
She sighed, knowing there was no way she was going to get out of this. In one last ditch attempt she tried, "You really should be trying to sleep."
"Please, Beckett?" The whine floated down the stairs and she sighed in frustration.
"Fine." She watched as he slowly made his way down the stairs, clinging to the banister due to being unsteady on his feet. Yet, on the final step, he caught his foot and stumbled slightly. He looked so unsteady, confused and disorientated she took pity on him, taking his hand. "This way, Rick." She lead him over to the couch, pushing a footstool over to rest against the couch, allowing him to lie down but giving herself much needed space.
He settled himself with a grunt, pulling his dressing gown tightly around himself "What are you watching?"
She flopped down next to him, "A Harry Potter movie? 'The Chamber of Secrets', I think."
"Oh! I love that movie!" He almost bounced up and down. "It's not as good as the book but still, it's a good movie."
She gave him a small smile "Well, I wouldn't know. I've never read the books."
"What!" He turned to face her, his expression intense. "Beckett. That is shameful."
She laughed "I don't exactly have much time, Castle."
He shook his head, "You make time for Harry Potter. I'm going to educate you."
She raised an eyebrow, leaning toward him slightly. "Oh really, Castle? And how are you going to do that?". Her lips quirked into a smile and she recognized that she was flirting again. It was a reflex, something they'd slipped into during their three year partnership.
He leant toward her, his lips so close to her ear that she could feel his breath tickling her neck. "Well, Detective Beckett," was he making his voice that breathy on purpose, making the 't' noises such a resonate 'click' in the back of his throat? She felt each hair rise on her arms, covering her in goose-bumps, "we're going to watch every single film." He pulled away from her and the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding was released in a whoosh. It left her with an unexpected sense of disappointment.
"Okay, Rick," her voice sounded rather small as she turned back to the television, pressing play, "but let's watch this one first." They sat and watched in relative silence, occasionally Kate would ask him a question or Rick would butt in and give the history of a character. As they approached the scene when Harry and Ron were entering the chamber, Kate noticed the couch was quivering underneath her body. With her eyes still on the screen she spoke with a sarcastic, playful tone, "Castle, I know you're excited, but could you try and keep still?"
"I'm... trying... Beckett." Confused, she turned and looked at him. He'd wrapped his arms around himself, tense. His whole body was shaking and his teeth were chattering.
"Rick, why didn't you say anything?"
"Didn't... want... to... be a... burden."
"Oh Castle, for God's sake." She looked at her watch, "You're not due for another Tylenol for another hour." She sighed "Where can I get you some blankets?"
"Guest room... there's a... box." She hurried into the guest room on the lower floor, where she had stayed when her apartment had been blown up. She found the box quickly and got as many blankets as she could carry, heaving them back to the couch. She began layering them, starting by tucking them tightly around him and eventually just piling them on top of him. She rubbed the blankets vigorously in the area where is arms were. "You... know... if you really want to warm me up... they say the best way to warm... people up is... body..."
"Castle."
"Sorry."
In her haste to warm him up she hadn't realised she was leaning right over him until he gave a small cough. She stopped, her body tensing again as she turned her head to look at him. "Thanks Kate." She withdrew quickly, returning to watching the film without looking at him. He probably sensed her embarrassment. The two continued watching the film.
Yet as the film continued and the scene in Dumbledore's office began, Kate noticed the couch shifting again. "What now, Castle?" she turned again. All the blankets except one had been thrown to the floor. She'd been so engrossed she hadn't noticed. Castle was leaning back, his face slightly flushed and pouring sweat.
"I'm sorry, Kate," he paused, "I think I'm going to have to go to bed." She nodded, pressing pause and leaping to her feet. Without asking she took his arm, resting it on top of her shoulders to provide him with the balance he needed – she knew how unsteady he'd be, and she was right. "Woah." His eyes rolled back in his head as he stood and he screwed his eyes shut, forcing her to stand still for a moment. After a while his head seemed to stop spinning. "Okay," his voice was a rasp, "can we go a bit slower?" Kate nodded and the two began the slow ascent to his room.
As they reached his room, she pushed gently down on his shoulders, making him sit on his bed. "You're too hot?" He nodded, too confused and disorientated to make any jokes about her comment. "Lift up your arms." He looked at her, even more puzzled. "Just do it, Castle." He lifted his arms shakily, unsure whether he'd be able to keep them up. She mentally braced herself, and then lent down to grasp the bottom of his t-shirt. She felt him tense and inhale sharply as her cool fingers brushed against his hot, flushed skin. She slowly eased his shirt off him, trying not to notice his toned chest, glistening with sweat. His strong arms and his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes were closed. She gulped. "I need you to stand up." Her voice was slightly husky and she silently cursed herself. The room seemed uncomfortably quiet. He got to his feet unsteadily, leaning against the nightstand. She pulled away the duvet form the bed, pulling it out of its covering and discarding it in the corner of the floor – buttoning up the cover. "Okay, you can get into bed now." He lay down on his bed and she lifted the duvet cover up into the air, letting it float down onto Castle's body gently.
He gave a small sigh and closed his eyes. She stood watching him for a moment before taking his glass and going into the bathroom next to his bedroom. She filled his glass up and, taking a hand-towel, ran it under the cold tap. When she re-entered the room he'd barely moved, but his discomfort was obvious.
"Drink this." She handed him the glass of water and he gulped it down, she reminded herself to get him a large bottle to put beside his bed. He lay back on the pillows, wheezing slightly, the effect of the Tylenol was obviously beginning to fade. Then, she sat once more on the edge of the bed, taking the cold damp towel and beginning to dab at his forehead. She then moved to the side of his face, gently wiping away the sweat and then on to his neck. His eyelids fluttered open, looking straight at her.
She was frowning in concentration and concern. She was so delicate in her touch, so soft and comforting it would've soothed him to sleep if he hadn't felt so terrible. Tendrils of her hair had come loose from her bun, framing her face as her hazel eyes narrowed in concentration. She really was beautiful. "Thank you, Kate."
Her eyes met his and she gave him a soft smile. "You should rest." He nodded, trying to return her smile and say something in return, but was cut off by a coughing fit. He sat up, coughing and gasping for breath as she gently rubbed his back. "Damn it, Rick." She murmured. Then she was gone, back into the bathroom with his water glass, though this time she wasn't gone for so long. She emerged about 10 seconds later with more Tylenol and another full glass of water. "Just take it, I don't care what the pamphlet says, just take it." Rick took them from her gratefully and lay back down into his pillows. Kate sat at his side, pushing his sweaty hair out of his face, "I'll stay until you fall asleep."
He nodded, "Tell me a story," he rasped "it'll help me fall asleep."
She smiled and nodded "Well, I could tell you about my mother's last birthday party? It'll make you laugh. I turned up with my boyfriend at the time and he was absolutely covered in tattoos and piercings, you should've seen my Dad's face." And she continued to tell him the story. He smiled as she recounted the day's events and tensions and slowly, his eyelids began to become heavier. It didn't take him long before they closed and she watched as his muscles began to relax as he fell asleep. Soon his breathing became regular, if slightly wheezy. When she was sure he was asleep, she placed her palm against his cheek, savouring the moment. "Sleep well, Rick." She murmured, removing her hand and leaning down to press her lips to his cheek, her eyes also closing. The she straightened, walked to the door, turning back once to look at his peaceful form before turning off the lights and going back downstairs to finish the movie.
Please review! The next chapter should be up in the next few days.
